Patients asked to get involved

Pock surgery

Published:16:34Tuesday 15 November 2011

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PATIENTS of Pocklington Surgery have been invited to get involved in decisions about the range and quality of services it provides.

The practice, on Barmby Road, has created a Patient Participation Group (PPG) which enables people to not only have their say on current services provided, but also those to be commissioned in the future.

The group, which was set up at the end of 2010, currently has a maximum of 20 members who meet on a regular basis.

However, as it wishes to be as representative of the practice population as possible, it would like to hear from patients who are interested in becoming future members when there is a vacancy.

Alternatively, they can join the surgery’s new “virtual” PPG and contribute to the key issues via email.

Berni Judge, practice and business manager, said the PPG acts as a “critical friend” to the practice and will “contribute to the new premises project which the practice has recently achieved ‘outline’ approval for from the PCT [Primary Care Trust] Board.“

The business case for a state-of-the-art development, costing £3.3million, impressed health officials and could see the present surgery move to a 7,000 sqm site on West Green.

Staff hope the scheme, which could be self financed by the practice, can be delivered within three years.

The next immediate project for the PPG is to carry out a patient survey which aims to obtain as wide a view on the services currently being offered by the practice, possible future services and on relevant issues affecting the practice.

The survey is planned to take place towards the end of the year and further details will be released over the next few months.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the PPG can obtain a short form available from the practice reception or from its website www.pocklingtongps.nhs.uk.

To find out more information about the PPG, contact Lucy Deacon, practice business secretary on 01759 321075 or email lucy.deacon@nhs.net.